Marine recruit threatens to stab girlfriend because of Kerry support

[Rowdyboy]

Typical goonish Republican "values". He had kidnapped her and was holding a screwdriver to her throat. Cops had to taser him.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/local_news/content/news/feeds/1027attack.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1027politicalattack,0,5218066.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

on edit: I have several friends who are ex-marines and in no way is this intended to be a reflection on marines in general. The few I have been lucky enough to know have been among the finest men I've ever known (and most open-minded).

[Cocoa]

1. Rummy's idea of a good troop

get that marine a cushy job at Abu Ghraib!

[Javaman]

12. Levenworth would be better

[UrbScotty]

2. Yeah, "Christian" values.

:eyes:

[Goldmund]

3. Oh come on, to tie this to his Bushbot-ism is freeperish

The guy was a nut, Bushbot or not.

[girl gone mad]

5. The problem is that..

Republicans pander to these types of men.

[Goldmund]

6. What "types"?

Republicans pander to macho morons.

This guy isn't just a macho moron. He's a nut.

[puddycat]

13. he seems more sociopathic than "nuts".

I don't think he should even have a psych exam. It has nothing to do with his behavior. This nation has simply has got to stop vilifying people with mental illness. By trying to excuse all criminal behavior by using DSM labels, we fail the truly desperately ill who are depressed, anorexic, etc, and we fail society at large.

The psych industry is so powerful in this country, and the lawyers love to use it to their advantage and so real reasons for aggressive behavior are often overlooked, such as Y chromosome excess. Regardless, he could be just a sociopath, like *.

[Dzimbowicz]

4. I agree, typical goonish values,

but I am a former Marine and not all of us are that way.


www.veteransforpeace.org

[HawkerHurricane]

7. I agree...

I've worked with more Marines than I can shake a stick at, and this is beyond the pale. The guy shouldn't be in the Corps, they should discharge him and turn thier backs.

[Rowdyboy]

8. Oh, this screw up will never make it into the marines....

He's more suited to a county jail.

[puddycat]

14. Unfortunately in my experience many current military are over-aggressive

This current situation is not attracting a wide enough range of people. We need to go to a mandatory 2 year service of men and women between 18-20 years old. No exceptions. For those who are conscientous objectors and the physically disabled, alternate forms of service could be found.

I firmly believe in this, because this all-volunteer army is not equitable--its not even really voluntary. When you are a poor girl from the mountains of West Virginia and all you have for hope is to join the Army then that is a dreadful state of affairs in this country.

[Dzimbowicz]

15. I have been out of the Marines for twenty-four years

and I do not encounter many military types now. However, as a public school teacher I do encounter the recruiters who come to my school. These types have generally been "groomed" to deal with civilians and therefore do not come across as over-aggressive. I do my best to engage them in conversation and point out those young people who have displayed such negative characteristics. Unfortunately, for some recruiters, they are only interested in meeting their quotas and continue to pursue these young people.

I have divided feelings about mandatory service, which I do not want to go into right now. But, you do have a valid point concerning the options for poorer people and their future.

I ended up in the Marines because I needed money for college. My father, a child of the Great Depression, who saw his father loose the family farm in 1937, told me that I needed to learn the value of a dollar and had to pay my own way through college. The USMC not only offered me the GI Bill, they also gave me $2500 cash bonus for enlisting in the combat arms. This may seem like peanuts compared to college tuition today, but my first semester tuition in 1981 was a mere $212.


www.veteransforpeace.org

[LiberalFighter]

16. Screening is not 100%... always will have a few bad apples

[Dzimbowicz]

17. Valid point

[LSdemocrat]

9. Wonder how he would have felt if he was sent to Iraq

[rockydem]

10. A typical dittohead

[RichardRay]

11. He'll never make it into the Corp

Whatever some have done this is not normative behavior for Marines or other members of the U.S. Armed Forces. I'd like to follow the story just to be certain, but my guess is that he's OUT as far as enlistment goes.

Richard Ray - Jackson Hole, WY

[Dzimbowicz]

18. Thanks for the edit...

:)